PAT FORREY ELECTED AS NEW PRESIDENT OF NATCA

Fox Xray · July 31st, 2006, 22:34

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2006

PAT FORREY ELECTED AS NEW PRESIDENT OF NATCA

WASHINGTON – Pat Forrey, an 18-year veteran air traffic controller at Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center and a two-term vice president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association’s Great Lakes Region, has won election as NATCA president, defeating two-term incumbent John Carr, it was announced today by the union’s election committee.

Paul Rinaldi was elected as executive vice president. Rinaldi is a veteran controller at Washington Dulles Tower who has served as the alternate vice president for the union’s Eastern Region.

Both the president and executive vice president serve as the national elected officials on NATCA’s National Executive Board. All elected officials on the NEB serve three-year terms, which will begin on Sept. 1.

Prior to his work with NATCA, Forrey was active as a member of the Laborers Union International, Local 310. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations and has completed extensive arbitration advocate training.

NATCA members in good standing vote for their respective regional vice presidents (RVP). Running unopposed in this election were incumbent Alaskan RVP Ricky Thompson and incumbent Southwest RVP Darrell Meachum, along with new Central Region RVP Howard Blankenship, a controller at Kansas City Center, and new New England RVP Mike Robicheau, a controller at Boston Center.

Winning re-election in a contested RVP race was: Phil Barbarello, Eastern Region.

Winning new terms in their contested RVP races were: Bryan Zilonis, Great Lakes Region, a former Chicago Center facility representative; Scott Farrow, Northwest Mountain Region, a controller at Salt Lake TRACON; Victor Santore, Southern Region, a controller at Atlanta Center; Hamid Ghaffari, Western Pacific Region, a former Los Angeles Center facility representative; and Michael McDonald, Region X (non-controller bargaining units), who has served as alternate VP of Region X.

Kristie · August 1st, 2006, 00:00

Do you see this as a good move? how is this being viewed by those who work ATC??

Fox Xray · August 1st, 2006, 00:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kristie

Do you see this as a good move? how is this being viewed by those who work ATC??

Me personally... I do, and many of my coworkers feel the same way. John Carr did great things for Natca and it's controllers and we are all forever greatful to him. I voted for Pat, not because I feel that anything going on was due to John, I feel that new blood is the shot in the arm the the union needs right now.

PHL_JR · August 1st, 2006, 00:34

I wonder if John will be continuing his blog. I really enjoyed reading it.

Fox Xray · August 1st, 2006, 01:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHL_JR

I wonder if John will be continuing his blog. I really enjoyed reading it.

I wonder about that also... the recent piece he posted courtesy of Bob Brown, Natca safety rep, on URET was great. URET stands for User Request Evaluation Tool. My understanding of URET is that it was originally designed by Lockheed Martin for free flight (how many remember that gem) and then morphed into this strip replacement / computer used in ARTCC's in association with the DSR radar we use.

I'll see what I can find out about the blog and report back.

Stone Cold · August 1st, 2006, 08:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by PHL_JR

I wonder if John will be continuing his blog. I really enjoyed reading it.

What's the address? I wouldn't mind taking a look at that...

Fox Xray · August 1st, 2006, 09:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by txpilot

What's the address? I wouldn't mind taking a look at that...

Here ya go...

http://themainbang.typepad.com/

Also check out...

http://www.avoiddelays.com/

surreal1221 · August 1st, 2006, 15:18

Congrats goes out to Pat and all the newly elected officials. I've been an associate member of NATCA for about 2 years now, and I'll continue even though I'm going to be leaving the CTI program at MDC to persue other ventures.

You guys do a great job, and ATC was my dream job until the FAA had to go and steal the dignity and integrity of the career field away.

Maybe when off the street AT-SAT testing starts (it's bound to happen, otherwise the FAA won't be able to hire enough) I'll take it and see where it gets me. Hopefully that'll be for a couple of years. Giving NATCA enough time to get a friendly congress in charge to get pay back to where it should be.

mbrusko · August 2nd, 2006, 09:23

I interned under John and Ruth in the DC office for several months and John was really a great guy. I know you guys have alot going on right now with privatization and all of that. I'm sure Pat will continue the fight. Keep up the good work!

ABP52380 · August 3rd, 2006, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fox Xray

I wonder about that also... the recent piece he posted courtesy of Bob Brown, Natca safety rep, on URET was great. URET stands for User Request Evaluation Tool. My understanding of URET is that it was originally designed by Lockheed Martin for free flight (how many remember that gem) and then morphed into this strip replacement / computer used in ARTCC's in association with the DSR radar we use.

I'll see what I can find out about the blog and report back.

Haha, yeah I was a fan of the Main Bang too. I especially enjoyed the day he quoted about 3 paragraphs of something I wrote on another aviation site. I was the poster boy for 'disgruntled CTI graduates.'

Well, I hope Mr. Forrey continues to fight for us up and comers. As a CTI grad currently waiting for the call to go to OKC, I'm continually checking NATCA's site for new info. I've got to be honest though, with this new contract, or nontract, I doubt I will accept the offer when it finally comes. I have some choice words for Mrs. Blakey, but I'll hold my peace this time. (As opposed to my rant that Mr. Carr had quoted a couple months back).